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It’s raining BAFTAs

Quantic Dream took quite a risk with their new approach to video game design and story telling in Heavy Rain but it was one that paid off both financially and critically. At last night’s BAFTA’s, David Cage’s melancholy drama left with three awards; Best Original Music, Best Story and Technical Innovation. Not bad for a game whose overall credibility is still being debated. Though I whole heartily agree with all three victories and like many other fans find it even more frustrating that we’ll probably never get to explore the world any further by way of DLC.

Back in June 2010, Guillame De Fondaumiere of Quantic Dream spoke of the three planned DLC, known as Chronicles, were to be put on hold while the team focus on developing PlayStation Move controls into the game. Later, David Cage revealed how the DLC was no longer on hold but effectively cancelled because revisiting Heavy Rain would have delayed their next game.

Implementing Move into Heavy Rain hasn’t really done wonders for its sales figures. Before the patch (and re-release), the game had sold over 1.5 million units worldwide and now the estimated total is 1.65 million. It’s difficult to gauge the profitably of DLC but the potential would have been 1.5 million customers downloading three add-ons for, say, £4-5 each. That opportunity is all but gone now though so no real point moping about it, just hope that after such success, Sony will convince Quantic Dream to find some time and finally develop the add-ons since they persuaded them to focus their attentions to Move. My breath is not being held, however.